Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

The Dragon Republic - Republik Naga by R.F. Kuang

30 reviews

sunsetcity's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism

bisexualwentworth's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book is dark, and it is complicated. It picks up where The Poppy War left off and continues to explore power, addiction, and the horrors of war.

The politics of this book are wonderfully complex. There are multiple different political factions, and they are all at odds with each other in different ways. Daji, Vaisra, and the Hesperians are a fascinating triad of competing villains. R. F. Kuang’s skill at depicting the horrors of war and of religious colonization is unmatched.

No scene in The Dragon Republic matches the utter horror of the massacre at Golyn Niis in The Poppy War, but this book simply never lets up on the way that it discusses and shows atrocities. You will not have a single moment while reading this book where you feel good about anything.

The pieces of the story didn’t fit together quite as well as in the first one. I think it’s just a second-book problem, but there were a few too many moving parts.

People who recommend this series for the “romance” are vile and irresponsible. The relationship between Rin and Nezha is tortured and complicated and deeply compelling. It is one of the most fascinatingly toxic relationships I’ve ever encountered. But it is less than a subplot, and if you go into these books expecting romance, you will be much worse than disappointed.

I’m probably going to need to wait another three months before I read book three.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Cannibalism, Abortion, and Classism

helliepad's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because Rin is still sane (by this world's standards at least, which is waaaaaay different from ours, considering it's a war-torn patriarchal society that is out to kill her AND she has PTSD + trust and anger issues + a literal Destruction God whispering in her ear all the time) by the end of this.

I want the tragedy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Genocide, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, and Colonisation

perseffable's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Excrement, Medical content, Kidnapping, Abortion, and Pregnancy

charlereads's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

ghostbirds's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, and War

Moderate: Chronic illness, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Colonisation

Minor: Genocide and Cannibalism

kirbylover16's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I love Rin's continued growth as a character. She struggles with addiction, how to be a leader, and with just being herself. It took forever but she finally realizes how much she idealized Altan and how she doesn't have to be him. I don't think the love triangle needed to last as long as it did and I don't like the fact that none of the relationships are good and healthy. There's a lot of twists especially as you get to the end of the book some of which land and others that you can see from a mile away. The first book feels more memorable to me but this is still a great read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual assault, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Cannibalism, Toxic friendship, and Colonisation

Kinda everything...

caregorman's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

WAIIITTTT okay I rlly shit on the first book but I must say w this one I’m getting the hype. SO MANY TWISTS IM HEARTBROKEN AND WEEPING. Tip for others w a small pea brain: listen to audio while also reading physically bc I simply couldn’t understand otherwise. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation

Moderate: Abortion

fiveredhens's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

favorite quote:

"Our dead don't leave us," said the Sorqan Sira. "They'll haunt you as long as you let them. That boy is a disease on your mind. Forget him."

"I can't." She pressed her face into her hands. "He was brilliant. He was different. You'd have never met anyone like him."

"You would be stunned." The Sorqan Sira looked very sad. "You have no idea how many men are like Altan Trengsin."

better than the first in the most brutal way possible

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Blood, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Minor: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Abortion, and Pregnancy

tinana's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, and Murder

Moderate: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, and Vomit